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How Diabetes Causes Foot Problems

Topic Overview

Many
things work together to cause foot problems in people who have
diabetes, especially poor circulation and nerve
disease (neuropathy). Neuropathy significantly dulls awareness
of your feet, making you more susceptible to extensive injury-related damage.
Also, diabetes can impair your ability to heal by both damaging your immune system and decreasing the blood flow in your legs.

If your vision has been affected by
diabetic retinopathy or other eye problems, you may
not see an injury or infection in your feet early. If you get a foot infection or injury,
you may not notice it until your condition is so serious that you require
surgery, possibly amputation.

Who's at risk?

Things that increase your risk for diabetic foot
problems include:

Poor
blood glucose control. If your blood sugar levels are persistently above the
target range, you are more likely to have foot problems.

How do problems start?

Because foot disease in
diabetes usually begins with neuropathy, your first step in preventing foot
problems should be addressing problems with your nerves. Neuropathy causes
problems in your feet by disrupting your nerves, both reducing your sensation
of pain and causing problems with the way you walk. Such problems can damage
your feet in the following ways:

Reduced sensation prevents you from sensing
pain and realizing that your foot has been injured. Poor eyesight can also
reduce your ability to detect foot injuries and infections. For example, you
may have a blister and not realize it because you don't feel any pain from it or see the blister. Without treatment, this injury may progress to
infection.

Your feet are at
risk for problems that arise from poor muscular control. If your nerves are no
longer able to carry signals that mean the appropriate motion of your feet
and lower legs while you walk, your body may compensate by forcing your feet to
adopt unnatural positions while you move. Changing the way you walk increases
your risk of getting foot ulcers and deformities. Your feet may become deformed
and misshapen if you walk abnormally for an extended period of time. In fact,
about half of all people with diabetes have a
hammer toe or claw toe deformity or a
Charcot foot deformity, caused by an abnormal walk.
See a picture of
Charcot foot.

What you can do

Here are a few things you can do to make foot problems less likely:

Have your feet examined regularly by your doctor. The doctor will be able to detect any changes
in your feet that mean a change in the way you walk. If you have an abnormal walk, your doctor may be able to equip you
with appropriate shoes or inserts that will compensate for the changes in your
muscle movement. By taking the pressure off parts of your foot that weren't
designed to bear such weight, your doctor will be able to minimize your risk of
both deformity and injury.

Check your feet for changes in skin color, cuts, blisters, and other problems. A foot exam should be part of your daily routine. Look at all areas of your feet, including your toes. Use a handheld mirror or a
magnifying mirror attached to the bathroom wall near the baseboard to inspect
your feet. If you can't see well, have someone else examine your feet for you.

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